With the holidays around the corner, this will be my last Ward 10 update for 2024! A few items for you to note as we head into the New Year:
Fa-La-La-La…but first, its Budget Time:
- This is the first year that Mayor Nuttall was responsible for issuing a budget proposal using the ‘strong mayor powers’. Under this legislation, mayors propose budgets, which are written in consultation with city staff, to councils.
- Last week the mayors budget was presented to City Council and we approved a zero per cent increase to the City’s Operating Budget for the third year in a row, while continuing the contribution of 2 per cent for the Infrastructure Investment Funding levy. The funding levy is used to replace and renew roads, stormwater infrastructure and buildings.
So What Does This Mean For Your Tax Bill?
- Your residential property tax bill is comprised of four parts:
- City Operations (make up 44 per cent of the 2025 Budget),
- City Capital (12 per cent)
- Service Partners, like the library, police and County of Simcoe (33 per cent); and,
- Education (11 per cent).
- Barrie City Council has direct control over the City services portion of the budget but limited influence over service partner spending requests, as partners do not report directly to City Council, but rather Council has representation on the governance bodies they report to.
- City Council has no influence over the education component of the budget as this is determined by the Province of Ontario.
- The service partner portion of the Budget will be presented to Council on January 15, 2025, and is expected to be approved on January 29, 2025. So final tax bill % increases will be announced at that time.
What Are the Key Budget Highlights for Ward 10 Residents?
- Completion of Fire Station 6 (located at 845 Mapleview Drive East)
- Recreation Centre new building development in South East Barrie (Hewitts Community Centre) – I know, we’ve been waiting a long time for this!
- A number of transportation improvements, including:
- Widening of Mapleview Drive East from Yonge to Prince William Way to 5 lanes with buffered bike lanes, sidewalk on south side, multi-use trail on north side, and safety upgrades at the railway crossing
- Big Bay Point from Prince William Way to Terry Fox Drive to support ongoing residential development
- Lockhart Road widening to 3 lanes from Yonge St to east of Terry Fox Drive
- Reconstruction and widening of Yonge St to 5 lanes, including a multi-use trail and sidewalks between Mapleview Drive and Lockhart Road
- New Neighborhood Park development within Hewitts Secondary Planning Area
- New bus fleet to support transit growth in Hewitts area
- New pedestrian crossover at Hurst Dr & Manor Gate
- Repair of tennis & multi-use courts in existing parks
- New Trail development in the secondary plan areas
- Street light illumination upgrades to improve lighting at corners and crossings
- Installation of flexible bollards for all school zones throughout the city (traffic calming measure)
- And of course outside of Ward 10, a new performing arts centre, Lakehead University STEM hub downtown, and a new splash pad at the Peggy Hill Team (formerly Holly) Community Centre are on the list!
Budget time is never easy, as I’m fully aware of the financial pressures many of us are feeling (especially around this time of year!). I think we’ve been able to strike a really strong balance while continuing with that zero per cent on city operations. If anyone wants to discuss the budget in further detail, I’d be happy to meet up anytime.
And with that, I’d like to wish you all a very happy and festive holiday season!
